Pleasanton: McDonald's robbed, employees forced into freezer

PLEASANTON -- A man climbed through a drive-through window at a fast-food restaurant and forced the employees into a freezer before robbing the store of cash early Wednesday morning, police said.

The robbery occurred about 3 a.m. at a McDonald's near the intersection of Santa Rita Road and Pimlico Drive, Pleasanton police Lt. Scott Rohovit said. Nobody was injured physically, he said, and police are still looking for man who did it.

The robber wore white gloves and a white, full face mask and entered the restaurant through the fast-food window, Rohovit said. He also was carrying what appeared to be a small-caliber revolver, Rohovit said.

The man used the gun to force the three employees into an office with a safe, and he demanded money from it. The employees complied and once the safe was open, they were ordered into the freezer and told not to come out for 30 minutes, Rohovit said.

The robbery was similar to one that occurred in Fremont on Saturday, when three masked gunmen forced employees of a McDonald's at 4318 Thornton Ave. into a freezer before robbing that establishment of cash. Rohovit said it was too early to determine whether the two robberies are related.

Anyone who may have information on the robbery is urged to call Pleasanton police at 925-931-5100.